


One Summer Day

by Rapidfyrez



Category: RWBY
Genre: Return, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 18:39:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13254312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapidfyrez/pseuds/Rapidfyrez
Summary: Summer Rose has returned home after a particularly grueling mission. But something's different. The house has changed, her family looks different, and they're acting like they've seen a ghost...





	One Summer Day

Try as she might, Summer couldn’t help it. When she saw the two story house nestled comfortably inside the forest of Patch Island, she threw any and all reserve into the wind and broke into a sprint, as fast her legs could carry her. After several long grueling months out on a mission, she was finally home!

It had seemed like a simple job, clear out the Grimm infesting a village on the outskirts of Vale. But what had started out simple had rapidly spiraled out of hand into a month long pursuit of one of the Enemie’s minions. The Enemy, Salem, had humans that worked for her for one reason or another, and Summer had found the trail of one in that poor village. After sending a letter home, she’d gone after the traitor in a continent spanning game of cat and mouse. When she had finally confronted the man, their battle had been short. He was no fighter, but he was determined. Summer had been forced to put him down, but she was content in knowing that Salem was deprived of another resource. It was a victory that left the world a little safer than when she lad left home.

That knowledge, that satisfaction, filled the woman’s heart with joy, and smothered the aches and pains in her body. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping cheerfully, and she could feel the first breeze of spring filling the winter air. There was no reason to walk home, no, she had to run.

So she did. Faster and faster, so fast that she left a trail of rose petals in her wake, dipping into her Semblance to move even faster. The front door rushed to meet her, and Summer knocked it open with a bubbling, giggling laugh of joy.

“Honey, I’m home!” she hollered, unable to hold back her smile.

There was a scuffle of claws on the hardwood floor, and a small black and white corgi waddled across the floor as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, sliding to a halt and looking up at Summer with a cocked head. She smiled and scratched the dog behind the ears, “Hello there little fuzzball. Why am I not surprised Tai snuck you in while I was away?”

She checked the tag on the collar while the corgi sniffed her, and chuckled, “Where is my man though, Zwei? Can you show me where Tai is?”

Zwei let out a little yip and shuffled towards the kitchen. Summer followed, taking only a cursory glance of the house as she did. Tai had redecorated since she’d been home, again. New paint for the walls, new furniture, a surprisingly large television hanging from the wall, silent. The house was surprisingly clean too, no clutter from the toys that Yang and Ruby liked to leave scattered across the ground. She could say many things about Tai, but he was no slob, that was for sure.

Summer walked into the kitchen and smiled. Tai was a tall man, a little over six feet, and built like a truck. He’s curly blonde hair had grown longer and he had some scruff growing over his face, but that happened. Tai was standing at the kitchen sink with a plate and towel in hand, staring at Summer in surprise.

She smiled and walked up to him, draping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek, “I would’ve called, but I lost my scroll. Sorry.”

Tai continued to stare at Summer, completely oblivious to her words or her touch. She frowned and brushed a hand against his face, “Tai?”

Odd, his skin felt… well not weird, but the texture felt different. A little rougher, a little older. Before she could pull her hand away, Tai was holding it in his large hands. His grip was light and soft, as if he thought she would break if he wasn’t careful. They were also shaking, so much.

The joy in Summer began to wane and concern filled her voice, “Honey, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Sure, she’d been gone for some time, but this wasn’t the first time it had taken a month or two for Summer to complete a mission. Maybe it was the radio silence that had gotten to him? That had to be it.

Tai opened his mouth, but all that came out was a low, pained sound. Tears began to well in those big blue eyes of his, and he said, very quietly, “S-Summer?”

She smiled again, “Yes Tai, it’s me. Honey, what’s wrong?”

His attitude was starting to scare her. Zwei made a whining sound and nudged Tai’s leg, obviously as worried as she was. Tai tried to speak, but just contented himself with holding her hand, and staring at her.

After a minute of this, he finally spoke, “I… we… You were dead. There was a funeral and… How are you alive?” the tears finally started streaking down his face.

Before Summer could register what he said, Tai wrapped her in a tight hug, holding her very close to his chest. His arms were as strong as she remembered, and she wanted to be lost in his embrace, but questions had been raised, and they demanded answers.

She placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed Tai back, using the edge of her snow white cloak to wipe the tears out of his eyes. Tai leaned back against the counter, still sobbing and refusing the let go of Summers other hand.

“It’s okay Tai, I’m here,” she whispered softly, “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

He closed his eyes and sucked in a shuddering breath, “You… Summer, what happened?”

She cocked her head to the side and debated what she could tell Tai. There were things he wasn’t supposed to know, but she didn’t have to lie to him either.

“There was… a bandit attack. I got caught up in tracking them down, it took longer than I expected.”

Tai’s voice grew bitter and resentful, “Bandits. You were gone… for all this time… because of bandits?”

She shrugged softly and ducked her head, “They were difficult to track down. I hunt Grimm, not people.”

“So it took you thirteen years” Tai’s voice cracked, “to hunt down a tribe of bandits… And you never thought to call during all that time?”

Summer felt like she’d been shot. Shock filled her body and she stepped back. Thirteen years. There was no way that she had chased that man down for thirteen years. How could it possibly have been that long since she was home, unless…

Salem.

This had to be the work of that monster. Summer knew she had power, but she had no idea she was capable of doing something like this. Thirteen years of her life, ripped away from her by some form of dark magic. The very idea…

“That’s not possible. Tai, are you sure?” her voice had gone quiet now.

He set his jaw tight and looked away, “Of course I do. How could I not be?”

If Summer had lost Tai, she knew she would remember every day without him. But she had to be sure, because she knew it had been but a few months. But apparently, it hadn’t, not really.

“Thirteen years.” Summer slumped away from him, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand, “I don’t know how that could-“

Footsteps from upstairs interrupted her train of thought. Summer and Tai’s head whipped towards the living room stairs, where a young woman was coming down. She had long curly blonde hair that fell to her waist and tired lavender colored eyes. She was dressed for a long trip, all brown leathers and tight clothes. Summer’s breath caught in her throat and her heart came to a sputtering stop.

The last time Summer had seen this young woman, she’d been a little girl in pigtails missing a front tooth and filled with boundless energy. Some of that energy remained, but exhaustion filled her eyes. For someone so young, she looked so old.

Yang Xia Long came to a stop in the kitchen door, eyes the size of dinner plates. She looked past Summer at Tai and said, “Dad… who is this?”

Summer suddenly felt very subconscious and fidgeted with her hands. Yang was almost as tall as she was, maybe an inch or two shorter. Thirteen years, that would make her seventeen, or was it eighteen? In that instant, Summer realized the full scope of the evil Salem had wrought upon her, and what she had lost filled her heart with pain and despair.

Now it was her turn to get teary eyed. Tai was still at a loss for words, but he managed to force himself to speak in a croak, “Yang, it’s Summer. She’s… she’s alive.”

“What?” Yang’s voice was filled with disbelief as she stared at Summer, still fidgeting with her hands.

It was hard for her to look at Yang, to meet her eyes. The little girl that Summer had helped raise was long gone, replaced by a young woman. Salem had stolen her family from her in one fell swoop.

She had tried anyway.

Summer ground her teeth and looked up to meet Yang’s eyes, speaking softly, “Hello Yang, I… I had no idea that…”

As she spoke, Yang’s eyes had just grown bigger and bigger, and realization dawned on her face. When Summer trailed off, they were both staring trembling with fear and caution. Summer didn’t know what to say. What could she say, there was no excuse that could make up for her absence. She had chosen to go after Salem’s agent alone, she’d believed herself relatively safe from the witches machinations. There was nothing Summer could think of to say that could make up for it.

Tears filled her eyes, “I’m sorry Yang. So, so sorry.”

And like that, Yang was across the kitchen floor, embracing Summer in a backbreaking hug that threatened to suffocate her. She didn’t mind. Yang didn’t cry, but she shook and she trembled and she made choking sounds as she hugged Summer tight. Summer returned her hug as tight as she could, and felt tears streaking down her face. A moment later, they were joined by Tai, wrapping his big arms around the both of them.

“I missed you mom,” Yang croaked.

That small spark of joy and happiness sparked into a flickering flame inside Summers chest, “I missed you too. So much.”

It took time, several minutes, for the three of them to break apart from one another, though neither Tai nor Yang quite let go of Summer. She was okay with that.

She wiped some tears out of her eyes and sniffed, “There’s so much to catch up on, so much to explain, I just…”

After a shaky breath, Summer smiled at them both, “Get Ruby. She’ll need to hear this too.”

Yang and Tai froze and exchanged a look. Cold gripped at Summer’s heart. No, no no no.

“Summer,” Tai started, slowly. “Ruby isn’t here.”

“Then where is she?” Summer asked, almost demanded. Far harsher than she meant. But the fear was building again.

“Tai, where is my daughter?”

**Author's Note:**

> A little something I wrote as a result of a prompt on Reddit. Lemme know what you guys think.


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